Conveyer.



PATENI'ED JAN. 30, 1906.

A. J. WEBSTER.

CONVEYER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR.'6.1898.

3 SHEETS-11331 1.

Ghoul M3,

PATENTED JAN. 30, 1 906.

A. J. WEBSTER.

GONVEYER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.6.1898.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No. 811,463. PATENTED JAN. 80, 1906. A. J. WEBSTER.

CONVEYER.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 6. 1898.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

unnumu uulnilllllllll lilllIlllllWi Witnesses ALFRED J. WEBSTER, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH A.

JEFFREY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO.

CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 30, 1906.

Application filed April 6,1898. Serial No. 676,667-

To all, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED J. WEBSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at O0- lumbus, in the county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oonveyers and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side view of a mechanism embodying my improvements. Fig. 2- is a side view, on a larger scale, of the bucket-loading mechanism. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line :20 a: of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a section on the line y y of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a section on the line .2 z of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the parts at the left hand in Fig. 2. Fig. 7 shows a modified device for holding the bucket in a tilted position.

The conveying mechanism proper is supported upon a suitable framework. This may be of any preferred sort. As shown, there are horizontal members at A, having the upper parts a a and the lower parts a, and B B indicate vertical uprights, such as may be used where necessary. Upon the framework tracks are supported, the upper track being generally indicated by C and the lower by C. At the ends tracks or guides may be employed, if necessary; but over the greater parts of the vertical path of the buckets in a conveyer of this class I have not found. them to be thus necessary.

At points such as are demanded by the particular work to be accomplished power and guiding sprocket wheels are mounted. In the construction shown there are such wheels at D D D D D D there being a pair of companion wheels at each of these points, both rigidly connected to a common shaft. Power is transmitted to the driving-shaft and air of sprockets D in any suitable wayas, for instance, by a belt-wheel or another sprocket-wheel actuated by a chain which in turn is driven from the engine or motor. Upon the sprocket-wheels thus provided chains E E are mounted, these extending around the entire path of the conveyer and constituting the power-applying means.

To the chains are connected the carryingbuckets, (indicated by F F.) These also may be constructed in any of several ways. For several reasons I prefer to have them of substantially the character shown, each being formed of front and rear inclined bottom walls tapering nearly to a common line and with triangular or tapering end walls, the top being open. Each bucket is freely suspended from the chains E E, as follows: From each end of each bucket there project outwardly spindles or axles f, secured to the end of the bucket by a riveted or bolted plate. Upon each axle at each end of the bucket there is a traction-Wheel G, adapted to ride upon the tracks O O, above referred to. Upon the axles the bucket is so held as to freely hang, the axis of the wheels being preferably somewhat above the center of gravity of the bucket and its load. At a suitable point, which I prefer should be entirely to one side of the axis of connection between the bucket and its supportingchains and at a considerable distance from such axis, as at or near the bottom of the bucket, there are outwardlyprojecting studs or projections I-I, preferably provided by means of a rod extending continuously across the bottom and secured thereto by clips or ears, though the same end can be accomplished by having separatelyformed studs or pins. These studs, pins, or projections H, I utilize for effecting the loading of the bucket.

The loading is accomplished as follows: By examining the drawings it will be seen that after the chains E E reach the sprocketwheels D they begin to descend on the inclined path to reach the boot I, wherein they pass around the wheels D and thence again upward. From points adjacent to the wheels D the track-rails also incline, as shown at c, to support the buckets and their traction-wheels G as they descend. The buckets are thrown into a position inclined relatively to the chain as they descend and are held rigidly in such inclined position in order that they may scoop up a load from the boot each in turn. To effect this, I employ tipping devices to engage with the empty buckets and means for holding them stationary in the said inclined. positions. As the pins or projections H approach the wheels D they strike upon the peripheries of wheels or disks J, which are also carried by the shaft d of the wheels D and as said wheels or disks revolve they throw the pins or projections H upward, and thus cause a relative tilting of the buckets. These wheels or disks J may be formed with or secured to the wheel D as shown. To maintain this inclined position, I employ guide-bars K K, which are also inclined and parallel or approximately parallel to the path of the chains. The guides are tangent to or approach so close to the periphery of the tilting disks J as to cause the pins or projections H to enter into the guides and to remain there during the descent of the buckets and while passing around the bottom of the wheels D. These guides extend to the point shown in Fig. 2. They are in vertical planes between the vertical planes of the ends of the buckets and the vertical planes of the trackrails and traction-wheels G, so that none of the parts can interfere with each other. The material that is to be transported by the buckets is delivered to the boot I in any suitable way, as through a ho per I, whose bottom is preferably arrange as shown, so as to throw the material toward that part of the boot through which the buckets rise. Prior to their reaching this part, however, they are in a position for scraping or scooping the material, which is loaded into them by such action. The guideways K terminate a little beyond the lower end of the vertical diameter of the boot; but up to this time the buckets are held rigidly in the inclined or scooping position, so that they readily load themselves with the material. As soon as the pins or projections H escape from the guides K the buckets are permitted to again right themselves and assume a freely-swinging position orrelation withrespect to the chain. It willbe observed that the guides K constitute means which are independent of the chain and are arranged to incline the buckets and hold them inclinedthat is, out of a freely-swinging position and in a position for scooping the material-as they approach the boot or lace of loading, such means comprising the oWer or outer guide bar or member, and they constitute other means which are arranged adj acent to the place of loading and are also independent of the chains and arranged to hold the buckets rigidly and from swinging backward while the material is being scooped up by the buckets, such means comprising the inner or upper guide members or bars. These guides thus operate to first incline the buckets as they approach the place of loading and then to hold them rigidly at the proper inclination for scooping as they pass through the boot or loading-receptacle, and such means are entirely independent of the chain, so that when the buckets pass out of engagement therewith they are perfectly free to swing.

upon their axes whatever he the subsequent path taken by the conveyer.

The track-rails c are preferably terminated at a point considerably short of the termina tion of the guides K, as shown in the drawings, (see Fig. 2,) the chains and the buckets being held properly against the periphery of the wheel after the traction-wheels escape from the track.

In Fig. 7 Ihave shown a modified means for holding the buckets in their inclined position. Here the ends of the buckets are provided with rigid guide-blocks near the axis of reach, and these are adapted to travel in the guideways at K and to hold each bucket in its inclined position during the time of loadmg lt. Y

After being loaded in the boot in the manner.described the buckets can be carried to any desired point for unloading. They may be either taken directly upward to the upper run of the conveyer or they may be deflected from their vertical path out of the boot to a horizontal path by means of guiding sprocketwheels.

It will be seen that I have provided a selfloading convever in which the materialtransporting devices are freely swinging buckets or receptacles. This I am able to accomplish by arranging a support for the material adjacent to the path of the chain and combining with the chains and buckets means which tilt the buckets and maintain them in a tilted or inclined position, the lastsaid means being so disposed as to cause the tilting of the buckets during that part of the run occupied in passing the support for the material. The best results are obtained when the buckets are held in a fixed or rigid inclined position relative to the chain, with their advancing, scooping, or lifting sides approximately tangential to the floor of the support for the material adjacent to which the buckets are moved.

At M, Fig. 1, I have indicated a mechanism for effecting the discharging or dumping of the buckets; but as this forms no part of the invention claimed in this case, but is rather claimed by me in my application, Serial No. 652,174, filed September 18, 1897, I have not illustrated the details thereof.

One of the objects of the present invention is to overcome the serious difficulties that have been experienced with conveyers of the general class to which the present one belongs and in which use is made of freelyswinging buckets arranged close together. As is Well known, conveyers of this class are very desirable for many purposes, because of the fact that they are of great carrying capacity and avoid the loss of power and other disadvantages incident to those in which the scraping principle is followed. It is also well known that under many circumstances it has been impossible to use them to advantage, because of the difficulties incident to the loading and the unloading of them, particularly their loading. In a mechanism of the kind which I here present I combine the wellknown advantages of a conveyer of this class, such as a great carrying capacity, and also those incident to elevators in which the buckets are compelled to load themselves from a boot or hopper by a scooping or scraping action, and this I accomplish by the employment of a simple mechanism-to wit, the studs or projections H, which coact with some parts to effect the loading.

What I claim is- 1. In a conveyer, the combination of the chains, the buckets, each hinged to the chains upon a single axis passing through the bucket and which is fixed relatively to the chain, the buckets being free to rotate entirely around the said axes, a loading hopper or boot in the path of the buckets, and means independent of the chains for engaging with the buckets and tilting them to bring their scooping sides to an angle to the chain and hopper-bottom substantially as set forth, whereby the buckets as they pass through the boot scoop their loads successively and. the chain exerts draft directly upon the buckets on lines passing directly through them, as described.

2. In a conveyer the combination of the chains, the buckets freely hinged to the chains, the projections H carried by the buckets and disposed entirely to one side of and at a considerable distance from the hinge connections between the buckets and the chains, and the means independent of the chains with which the said projections engage for tilting the buckets and maintaining them in. tilted position during a portion of the run of the conveyer, substantially asset forth.

3. In a conveyer the combination of the chains, the buckets freely hinged thereto, and the laterally-extending projections II secured to the buckets near their bottoms, and means independent of the chains with which the said projections engage for tilting the buckets and maintaining them in the tilted position during a portion of the run of the conveyer, substantially as set forth.

4. In a conveyer the combination of the chains, the buckets, freely hinged to the chains, the projections carried by the buckets, and means arranged adjacent to the chains and moving in a direction approximately parallel to the parts of the chains to which they are adjacent, with which the said projections engage for tilting the buckets, substantially as set forth.

5. In a conveyer the combination of the chains, means for moving them, the buckets freely hinged to the chains, projections carried by the buckets, means adjacent to the chains and moving in a direction substantially parallel with the lines ofv movements of those portions of the chains to which they are adjacent, and with which means the said proj ections engage for tilting the buckets, and means with which the projections engage for maintaining the inclination of the buckets after they have been so tilted during a portion pf b11116 run of the conveyer, substantially as set ort chains, the buckets freely hinged and suspended thereon, the runway for the idle part of the conveyer having a track or support for the buckets, the runway for the loaded part of the conveyer having a track or support for the buckets, the boot or hopper intermediate of the said runways, a guide supplemental to said track for the buckets into the said hopper, and means independent of the chains for locking them on their hinges as they move througlror into the said hopper, substantially as set forth.

7. In a conveyer, the combination of the chains, the buckets freely hinged and suspended thereon, the runway for the idle part of the conveyer having a support for the buckets, the runway for the loaded part of the conveyer having a support for the loaded buckets, a boot or hopper intermediate of the said runways, a guide supplemental to said support for the buckets to direct them through the said boot or hopper, a supplemental stationary guide, and means carried by the buckets engaging with said. supplemental guide and holding the buckets rigid relatively to their hinges on the chain, substantially as set forth.

8. In a conveyer, the combination of the chains, the buckets freely hinged and suspended thereon, the supporting or traction wheels for the buckets, the track-section for the wheels of the unloaded part ofv the conveyer, the track-section for the wheels of the loaded part of the conveyer, a bucket-loading chamber intermediate of the said tracksections, a track section for the bucketwheels inclined to the aforesaid track-sections and extending through or into the loading-chamber, and means independent of the chains for locking the buckets upon their hinges while the bucket-wheels are on said inclined track-section, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALFRED J. WEBSTER.

Witnesses:

F. E. OOLTON, JNo. J. REILLY.

6. In. a conveyer, the combination of the 

